Even Black Hearts Feel Pain: A Villain's Reflections
by MysteriousMcMann
Summary: Sneaky, mischievous, and evil to the core: that's what everyone in The Mushroom Kingdom thinks Waluigi is. But what sorrows could be hidden behind that sneering facade? What thoughts truly lurk in his villainous mind, as he stalks silently amongst the throngs of Toad Town?
1. Chapter 1

How many times had he done this before? How many evenings had he spent here, on the terrace, staring out at the bustling town below? Here, at this very table, he watched the world go by. A world that cared nothing for him, nothing about him. A world filled with people who defined him only by his outward appearance, by his name and choice of friends. Well…make that friend. If he could even call someone who seemed to view him as only a partner-in-crime that. Maybe he'd brought this upon himself. If that was so, he should never have left Shroomley Heights. The place where his father, as far as he knew, still resided. But he'd never been welcome there, either. Nothing in his life could have saved him from this fate. He'd become a vagabond, and then he'd become a common criminal. Some destiny he'd turned out to have.

Waluigi laughed bitterly, startling some of the patrons around him. They only moved their chairs further away, staring at him with utter disgust. Then they returned to their high-class chats, talking about finances, tea, and luxury in the same affected tones. He watched them out of the corners of his eyes as he sipped at his drink. _Look at them. These hoity-toity Toads with their suits and pearls. I have just as much of a right to be here as they do! Little do they know, the blood of __**NOBILITY**__ runs through these villainous veins!_

Yes, that was right. He came from a long line of prestigious people. Long before Toad Town was even built, his family line had been among the wealthiest in the Kingdom. He, his father, and his father's father before him were bearers of great ancestral blood. But now, it seemed, the Waluigi family name had been forgotten, their legacy reduced to nothing. If anything, those who knew of them assumed them to be nothing but a long line of thieves. People only knew him by his last name, for crying out loud! And that was only because of its similarity to a **certain other's** name. It was sickening that his full, honorable name, Vittorio T. Waluigi, III, wasn't even acknowledged. All because of that other guy. It was humiliating, too. And, above all, it was sad.

Waluigi rose from his seat, and went downstairs. He quickly left the restaurant; from the dirty looks he was getting, he had most definitely outstayed his welcome, and he didn't care to hear the whispered insults and jeers tonight, too.

He strolled the streets of Toad Town, looking at all the sights. Most ignored him, some gave him a wide berth, and others whispered behind his back. His reputation in town was not a good one. But he didn't care. If you were a villain in the Mushroom Kingdom, microaggressions, gossip, and overall dislike were par for the course. Except maybe if you were Bowser, or some other monster. Then the 'Shroom-Folk would be running, screaming, and hiding away in fear instead.

Walking under the lights and between the cozy houses, he made his way to a public rose garden. It was a park-like space, with strings of lanterns overhead and the sweet scent of flowers in the air. And it was there that he spotted them: the silhouettes of a Toad couple, holding hands by the fountain. With honed stealth, fine-tuned by many a mischievous scheme alongside Wario, he crept behind a tall, intricately shaped topiary. He was curious, he told himself. Nothing more, nothing less. But deep within his so-called black heart, something was quivering at the sight of the pair.

"Dear Sweet T…I cannot imagine life without you." said the gray-capped Toad.

"N-neither can I without you, Dour T." the teal-capped one replied. Then they stood up on tiptoe, to kiss their taller paramour.

The two held the kiss for a long time, before at last pulling away. Even then, neither of them left the others' arms. They stood in a passionate lovers' embrace, staring up at the shining full moon.

Waluigi felt a bit of moisture creeping into his eyes. His face reddening a bit, he brushed the wetness away. _These cursed roses! Messing with my allergies again…_ As silent as before, he crept out of the hedge, and away from the Toad couple. As he strode further and further away from the rose garden, his heart pained him. He missed the aroma already. More still, he missed the tender sights he had seen. The cheesy, yet heartfelt sentiments he'd heard.

Though the whole Kingdom thought his heart to be stained with greed and malice, and, at least partially, they were right, there was a part of it that Waluigi didn't reveal to anyone. He didn't even acknowledge it himself, though he was reminded of its existence constantly. Every. Single. Day. Almost every waking moment, too.

Mario and Peach were dating, as was common knowledge in this crummy Kingdom. As impossible as it seemed, smelly old Wario was with Mona, that gelateria worker- no, that cheerleader, no…oh, who cared what she did?! She and Wario were together, or, at least, were crushing on each other. Even Mr. Eyeballs himself, that…that **LUIGI**, had someone to love: Daisy, the fair, strong ruler of Sarasaland. Everyone, it seemed, had a special someone. All except for him. He was the only one left alone. Without someone to love. Except for the lovers in his dreams…

Ah, who cared? Certainly not the Great Waluigi! He cared for no one, and nothing, aside from his darling Piranha Plants. That was where he headed next: to his greenhouse, outside the mansion he shared with his co-schemer. They would likely all be sleeping now, just as he'd left them. But he wanted to check one last time before he himself went to sleep. For some odd reason or another, he was fatherly over the little dears. Maybe it was because they seemed to be the only ones who'd listen to him, or show him any real affection. True, their "love bites" left tiny, silvery scars, but they cared about him in their own way. That was more than could be said for anyone else in this starforsaken Kingdom. He sighed happily as he looked the slumbering plants over. Each one in its own place, each one with its own name. Just as it should be, he thought to himself. He gently patted one of them on the head as he exited the greenhouse.

He entered the dark mansion, the torches on the wall casting long shadows as he walked inside. He was tired, and it had been a long, depressing day. All he wanted to do was sleep. _As long as Wario's snoring doesn't keep me awake,_ he thought with disgust. _I can hear it all the way in my wing of the mansion!_

Soon, he was ready for bed, dressed in comfortable pajamas. But…there was one last thing to do. One part of his nightly ritual that he never neglected. On slippered soles, he padded over to the window. The stars twinkled up in the night sky, galaxies and galaxies of them. According to lore held dear by the Toads for countless years, every one of those stars cared immensely for everyone and everything. There in the ancient sky, they watched over all who lived on the planet, blessing them with peace, prosperity, and love. He narrowed his eyes as he scanned the heavens. With the way his life had been, he wasn't sure if he believed it. Yet every night he found himself here at the window, looking heavenward. He didn't know why. It was just one of those things he didn't question. Probably one of those things he shouldn't question, for his own good.

Yawning, he walked to his bed. Slipping under his covers, he laid his head on the pillow with a sigh of relief. "Little do they know," he whispered, "there **is** rest for the wicked!" He chuckled to himself at his little joke, and his own sense of humor, as he went to sleep. There were plenty of rotten deeds to accomplish tomorrow. Right after he slept through the night. And right after he forgot about what and how he'd felt tonight, there, in the rose garden.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a humid night in Diamond City, and Club Sugar was packed. Wall-to-wall, people swayed and jived to the pounding rhythms blasting from the DJ booth. The footfalls of the dancers couldn't be heard over the music, and the air was thick with heat and sweat. The crowd was eating it up. _This_ was the nightlife. _This_ is what they had been waiting for the whole week long. It was time to let loose, and party their troubles away.

Waluigi didn't know why he'd come. He wasn't much of a partier, for one. He never really felt at home among the bright neon lights of dance clubs and evening hotspots. That was more Wario's speed than his. But tonight, Wario had insisted he accompany him to Club Sugar. And now, a bumpy motorcycle ride later, he was sitting at a corner table and sipping at a drink that was far too sweet. Pink 'shroomade, judging by the flavor. That was his closest guess, anyway. He hadn't been listening when his cohort ordered the drinks.

Said cohort was sitting across the table, a finger firmly lodged up one of his nostrils. Typical Wario. Always doing something disgusting, even in public. Waluigi shook his head, and turned to watch the dancers.

"We oughta join up with 'em, beanpole." Wario said. "I can show you some _real_ smooth moves."

"No thanks, garlic-breath." Waluigi scowled. "I'd rather sit here all night than be out there spinning around with you and that clod with the blue wig."

"His name," Wario said, "is Jimmy T. And fine. Suit yourself. Bet you have two left feet anyway." And with that, he was off, strutting out to the dance floor on those stubby legs of his.

Waluigi sighed to himself, and turned away. Whenever Wario took him out, it was like a part of him died inside. Contrary to his partner's belief, he _was_ good at dancing. He loved to dance. Back home, in the privacy of his suite of rooms, he'd dance for hours. To slip into the rhythm and dance the worries out of his mind…it was wonderful. But it wasn't something he felt like he could share. Not in this place, anyhow. Club Sugar was a raucous, loud mess, just like the majority of its regular patrons.

Come to think of it, that was how Diamond City was in general. It wasn't really surprising. In fact, it was to be expected of a town transformed from a hole-in-the-wall hamlet to a bustling metropolis by Wario himself. It was a city in his image, well-suited to his needs, and the needs of others like him. No wonder Waluigi never liked coming here.

Sure, people treated him a bit better in Diamond City than they did back in the Toad Town area. But still, it wasn't as if he was exactly welcome. People only talked to him because they thought he was Wario's right-hand man. What better way to communicate their wishes and desires to the big man himself than through his "sidekick"? _Ugh. I'm not a sidekick! I'm my own man. I don't need to hang on to Wario's overall straps to be something._

And he couldn't stand Wario's employees. Jimmy T. and his family were repulsive, and so was that snot-nosed 9-Volt and his teenage flunky hanger-on 18-Volt. Even Mona, always busy slavering over Wario, was disgusting. They were definitely **NOT **the kind of people he wanted to hang out with. Even so, he found himself dragged out to Diamond City more and more often these days. And he was getting so, so tired of it.

It appeared that his cohort had at last tired of "shaking his groove thing", as Jimmy T. so eloquently put it. He was now sitting at a table with Jimmy T., talking in a voice so loud that Waluigi could hear it over the music and across the room.

"Yeah, Wally's never any fun," Wario laughed, "he's skinny as a stick in the mud, and he acts like one, too. All stiff n' proper."

Jimmy T. grinned, and adjusted his sunglasses. "Yo, he oughta loosen up. With that bod of his, I bet you my entire wig collection he could boogie all night and then some."

"Nah, he'd never do that. I'm tellin' you, he can't dance worth Woo Beans. He can't do anything in our schemes without _me_ helping him along. Useless as a poison 'shroom, if you ask me."

Waluigi grit his teeth in anger. _How dare that short little pair of overalls trash talk me?! I've saved his skin more times than I can count! Useless? __**USELESS?!**__ I'll…I'll show him!_

The question was: how? If he stomped over and cursed him out, all Wario would do was laugh. Maybe he'd even punch him in the nose. No, violence wasn't the way. The best way to show Wario would be an indirect, non-physical one. One that demonstrated that he was the more talented person of the two. Waluigi sipped his 'shroomade, and thought hard. Soon enough, the proverbial lightbulb clicked on. A slow, uncertain smile curved across his face.

_ Do I really want to go through with this?_ he asked himself as he rose. Did he really want to reveal something so important to him? Something that he used to cope with the stress brought on by an indifferent world and an inconsiderate partner? As he walked across the room, his gaze met Wario's. Waluigi's eyes narrowed. The slightest flash of purple illuminated his dark pupils. Yes. Yes, he did.

He had to fight through the sweaty crowd for a spot. It wasn't a big spot, which was sort of a problem. But visibility was the real key. This was the only free space that afforded a decent view. Waluigi could plainly see Wario and Jimmy T. from where he stood. And more importantly, they could see him. Perfect.

Stretching out his limbs in quick preparation for the exertion to come, Waluigi wondered what song would be playing next. He hoped it was a good one. One with a nice beat, and-

_ Oh._ A familiar rhythm reached his ears. Could it be? Yes. Yes, it could!

The DJ had just put on Destruction Dance, one of Waluigi's personal favorites. He couldn't count the hours that he'd practiced routines to it. Oh, _**now**_ it was _**on**_.

He eased into the introductory steps, nice and easy, but following the rhythm of the song to a T. Apparently, he was doing well already. The clubbers around him were turning to watch. As the song picked up, so too did his moves. For once, Jimmy T. was right: his limber frame did help him dance. Every twist, every twirl, every step was perfectly timed. It was plain to see that he was in his element.

The world around him, the talk, the noisy club…it all began to fade. There was nothing left but himself. Himself, and the music. How he loved those heavenly rhythms, that piano, and that vibe so infectious it left him glowing. It was as close to being among the stars as he would ever be.

The song ended, and with a final pose, his dance did, too. It was time to return to reality, harsh as it was.

But there was a hint of sweetness to his bitter fate. The people around him cheered and clapped at his performance. Some high-fived him. Others shyly shook his hand or lightly patted him on the shoulder. They all loved him. What a pleasant change.

His face glowed with pride as he walked up to Wario and Jimmy T. Both were slack-jawed.

"So," Waluigi asked, "how was I?"

"Wh-whoa, man," Jimmy T. stammered, "that was a sick groove you had going on out there."

Wario nodded. "You were good out there, beanpole." For once, there wasn't a trace of his usual snide attitude. He was completely sincere.

Waluigi slid into the empty seat at the table, calling out an order of an eggplant cocktail to the waiter. It might be hours before he got out of this crummy place, but while he was here, he might as well celebrate. Tonight's victory had been a small one, but it had been a victory all the same. Tonight, he felt like a winner.


End file.
